Nolin Lake State Park Campground

Pros: very well maintained facilities, toddlers enjoyed playground, able to walk along lake shore, could hear small waterfall behind our campsite, within 20 minutes of Mammoth Cave NP via Green River Ferry Con: sites nothing special for tent camping (probably great if in RV). Very sunny, out in open so windy. But nice to have electric and water when camping with toddlers so worth it. Would agree with previous review that the 1 tent site among all the electric sites looked beautiful- right on the water. If you don’t need electric, go with that one!

We rolled in on the day of our stay with no reservations. Sites with no reservation cards are open for one night. There were 2 open when we arrived around 8 pm. After hours, it's an honor system using the envelopes at the entrance. The sites are level with water and electricity. There are lake sites available. Our site was in the open area. This was an overnight stay for us on our way home. The dump station is at the entrance. Bath house was very clean and well maintained.

Our site was huge, with enough space for our RV, truck, dog fence and fire area. The gravel pad was recently maintained. The bathrooms were cleaned regularly. The showers were hot and free! Washer/dryers on-site for $1.5 a load. The hike to the waterfall was muddy and there were downed trees from a recent storm - but the park was working on it.
We loved that hiking in Mammoth Cave National park was only 15 min away!

My husband and I, along with our dog Frank, found site P27 using Google Maps Satellite view and saw that it was juuuuust far enough away from the RVs to feel like we were camping in the woods. 

The site itself doesn't allow you to have a vehicle at site and the short wooded trail to the site does get incredibly muddy when it rains heavily. However, your vehicle is close enough but you can't see it easily due to the wooded area between the site and the rest of the campground/parking lots. I felt that aspect made this site all the better. HOWEVER, you will be carrying your firewood into the site if you buy it at the campsite store so keep that in mind depending on your physical abilities. P27 wouldn't be very convenient for strollers and definitely not wheelchair friendly unfortunately. 

The site itself is mostly rock and gravel as you look towards the lake with the rear portion of the site turning to the wooded area. There is decent enough shade for your tent and a friends tent if you're using 1 to 4 person set ups... but the tents will be CLOSE. 

There isn't a great hammock set up option at this site. We had two with us and could only hang one, the trees were fairly young and on the edge of a small drop off to the rocky beach. That was a decent spot to hang a hammock but a double with adults would be detrimental to the trees perhaps. 

There is a picnic bench that is staked to the rock with a chain so you have limited options of moving that closer to the fire pit or further away. Table was in great shape. 

The bath house was super nice but a bit of a walk from this site. Toddlers wouldn't be stoked on it more than likely. 

We visited Halloween weekend and there was a huge thunderstorm for the majority of the two nights we spent here. The site got incredibly muddy by the fire pit, like... boots sticking in the mud wet Ky clay. 

All that aside, we will be camping here. The RV section was packed and they had trick or treating for the kids but we couldn't hear any of it from this site. Waking up in the morning to the fog on the lake was super beautiful. Watching people fish from their boats Sunday morning and walking the shoreline looking for cool rocks... it's a great campsite. It's an awesome tent site and everyone that worked at the campground was great. A young man came to check on us because of the thunderstorm as well. 

*tent stakes work just fine at this site. It's not just a rock outcropping.

We had a great time! It’s not drive in and there isn’t always a clear path to your campsite; the restrooms are a bit but of a walk. It’s all worth it for a less than 15 minute walk to the beach tho. The campground is very well maintained and the restrooms are very clean. There are trash cans as well as water spigots throughout the camp sites. Would definitely camp again - it’s worth the work. Also of note, there is the possibility of a burn ban due to all the pines.

Pros: Beautiful campground!

Cons: dump station is backed up when leaving with long wait times, no wifi, no or limited cell signal, gravel lots

For a state park it is on the smaller side but the sites are large and spacious. Bathrooms and showers were very clean and inviting. Camp staff was very nice and took the time to direct us to some local points of interest.

This place is so beautiful. Very well kept by friendly park rangers. The bathhouse was nice and clean and just a small walk from the site we stayed at. We had the entire campground to ourselves (probably because it’s so close to Christmas) so it was so quiet and peaceful. Our site was on the cliffs edge overlooking the water, with a small path leading down to the water. We got a one day fishing license so we could try to catch dinner and ended up catching a 19in catfish. The water was low enough for us to enjoy a small waterfall and a runoff stream up river. Overall, this is definitely a place we’d like to visit again. Maybe when the water is up higher next time!

We camped at site P27, which is in the RV section of the campground, but off to the side and pretty private. Great little spot and had our own piece of shoreline. No electricity or water here but equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern post. Had to back truck up as best we could and walk a little trail to the site and unload. Had to park by basketball court when done unloading, so keep in mind your vehicle won't be within site. There is a group site off in the distance and they were pretty loud but still a good distance off so it was tolerable. Daughter caught her first fish here. Loved waking up to the fog over the lake. Bath house wasn't as clean as I recall from previous trips but it wasn't anything to get worked up about. Lots of places are short staffed these days so I can't fault them too badly. Nolin is on of our favorite campgrounds!

We rolled in with our caravan of 8 campers after dark! The campground check in was super fast, and every site is very well taken care of! Nicely packed tiny, pea sized gravel, FLAT, and easy to back into with plenty of room for camper & outdoor living space. Ice & firewood were a bit pricey, but firewood purchased outside parkway cheaper & too green to burn... There were several activities for family, trails are well kept, beach, fishing, boating.

I like the pretty lots, that were mostly flat for camping. Siri so beautiful I will come back again and again!

I was tent camping with my family Thursday-Saturday while visiting Mammoth Cave.

The good: the tent campground has spacious, level sites. The sites are located in a grove of pine trees, which makes for well shaded sites with a pleasant surface of soft pine straw to pitch your tents. A few sites had trees suitable for hanging hammocks if you enjoy that. There are toilets and sinks in the park office near the primitive campsites. There is a swimming beach and boat ramp on Nolin Lake nearby. Convenient to Mammoth Cave NP and fishing and hiking opportunities abound.

The bad: the shower house is in the RV campground and too far away to be a convenient walk. You have to drive there which is a pain with kids. There were few shower stalls and they were not kept clean. The park staff were very friendly but just overworked. Thursday night we were kept awake by loud campers and campground staff weren’t around to enforce quiet hours. Quiet hours do not start until 11 PM which is not ideal for campers with young children. The park started filling up on Friday and Saturday and was obviously very crowded on the weekend. Seems like a "party spot" for locals. 

We might return here but perhaps would choose to camp during the week or during a less busy time of year.

Love staying here! Small campground and hard to get weekend reservations, but it’s a great place for kids to play and adults to relax. Sites are large and level. Easy lake access and a beach for use as well. Only downside is it is open for public use as well. It was very full on Saturday with a lot of people that weren’t campers. Also had some activities for the kids on the weekend we were there too. There aren’t many stores close by so make sure you have all your supplies!

The camp host are incredibly helpful. We had a few issues with our camper and they did everything to help us trouble shoot it. The area is beautiful, my kids had a blast playing with other kids and running around. Super clean, well laid out, great showers. Lots of families and dogs.

One of my absolute favorite spots to camp!! We had a blast this past September. A lovely time to camp and still warm enough to swim at their sandy beach. We enjoyed fishing and caught a variety of fish like catfish, bluegill and bass. The bath houses are well maintained and quite clean. Super nice playground which the kids fully enjoyed! Extremely helpful park staff and plenty of firewood and extras available to purchase. Before we arrived it flooded and our site was under water but they were kind enough to move our site back and accommodate our reservation. The sky was so clear and bright. Almost zero light pollution allowed us to see many constellations, the milk way, falling stars and the brightest, most breath taking view of the night sky. This lakeside getaway is one that will keep us coming back!! If you've never been to Kentucky...this will keep you coming back to the Bluegrass to camp for years to come!

This is our second time here and we love it as much as the first. Will probably be a yearly visit for us. We love all the sites, it’s quiet, near the lake, everyone is friendly. Really nothing bad to say at all(except for all the ticks....spray up)!!!

Very clean, large, private sites. All of the sites have their own space. They are very well laid out. Small campground and easy for the kids to bike and play. The beach was closed for high water, but it looked like a nice area. Only a couple of minor complaints... people drive way too fast on the roads, quiet time not enforced or observed and no gate or anything to regulate traffic. We were at site 8, close to the front, and people were driving in and out all the time and it made me very worrisome with the kids. We also had a group next to us that were still “hanging out” at 2am. We didn’t complain about it, but nothing else seemed to be enforced aside for not parking on the grass. We aren’t complaining campers, but 2am is pushing the limits a little bit in my opinion. I also am giving some grace bc the whole place was full for the holiday weekend. We will go back, I just hope the speed limit will start to be enforced a little More and people are more considerate of the kiddos playing.

We camped in tent site 15, which is the far back corner of a large rectangular tenting area. Each site had a table and fire ring, and shared water and trash were located in several central locations. Some sites are between two parking areas (sites 7-9, I think), and some sites are along the lake shore. While most people rate the lake shore sites highly, I think you'd get a lot of headlights flashing at you as they're right along the parking lane. We really liked the back corner for privacy, and relative proximity to the bathrooms (located in what looks like an office). Showers, firewood, ice, playground, and laundry are in the trailer campsite nearby. 

One caveat is that, if fully booked with weekenders, I can imagine this place getting a bit noisy at night. It's also pretty hot, though very well shaded, in July.

This was our first time staying here, but it won’t be our last. We loved the quaintness of the park, the sites are very roomy and flat. We loved being close to the water as well. The trail system in the park was great and we put in over 14 miles of hiking there. The staff was very friendly and helpful!! I would definitely recommend this park to friends and family. We can’t wait to come back

I can’t wait to go back?

Very nice. Fun and clean.

Great place for relaxing

Family trip for spring break 2019. Kids loved it. Decent showers. Good sites with shade

We camped at the water front and my only complaint is they didn’t allow swimming away from the beach, we swam anyway because Merica. All in all a great place to camp

We stayed here because we were going to Mammoth Cave, but loved the place for its own beauty. The sites were spacious, the hook ups were easy to access for the RV and there was plenty of room for 2 tents besides. Nice playgrounds, easy access to trash dumpster, bath house is also a storm shelter! Fishing was close to our site so boys were happy. Neighbors weren’t very close and trees are everywhere.

Relaxing quiet weekend spot.

This campground books 6 months out. Very hard to get a spot, but so worth it! Water front sites in cove so not a lot of boat traffic. Quiet park with great gravel spots.

Ranger Review of Boost Oxygen at Nolin River State Park

Campground Review: Nolin River SP is one of our area favorites. Near Brownsville, Ky and a little off the beaten path. But definitely worth a visit or two.

This is not a huge State Park but it sits on Nolin River Lake and offers plenty of water sports to keep you entertained. The campgrounds were crowded when we visited.

The RV campground sits behind a gated entry and has sites that have direct lake access. Very clean and well maintained, not a lot of shade or privacy though. The primitive/basic area is crowded. The sites are walk in and placed pretty close together under cedar trees. There is a fresh water point and the beach is a short distance away. There are some sites on a small hill lakeside that give an excellent view and have picnic tables.

Obviously the main attraction is the lake, there is a lot of traffic on the lake. I kayak so at times it can be a little stressful when your wondering if that speedboat flying at you over the water sees you. I stayed close to the shoreline and did not attempt to cross the main thoroughfare. There are inlets that are less busy , you will usually see fishermen in those areas and travel is safer.

In addition to the water Kentucky Mountain Bike Assiciation(KYMBA) has built a very nice trail system in the woods. I’ve never hiked the longest loop but the two shorter ones are challenging and fun to hike. Mountain bikers would find them very technical.

On this visit we saw a new privately owned campground being built in front of the park entrance. It will be opening this season , graveled RV sites and a smal basic area for tents.

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I had the opportunity to use and review Boost Oxygen https://www.boostoxygen.com/ last summer. I recently received the smaller version of Boost Oxygen to take with me adventuring. Boost comes in three sizes and the one I reviewed is the mid-size version.

I took Boost along with me on a vigorous hike in humid weather. It was more beneficial due to the humidity then the level of excercise.

Pro: smaller size fit in one of my hydration packs front pockets

Pro: easy to use

Con: filling up those land fills

Pro: it does make recovery faster

Con: for amateur athletes/ sports enthusiasts not really sure it’s cost effective

In conclusion if you are an extreme, high altitudes, low drag kinda adventurer this would be a worthwhile investment into your performance. For me, I can just as easily sit down and take a break, I’m in no hurry;)

Great weekend. Sites are modern, spacious and clean. Boat traffic on the lake was very heavy.

There were so many flies at our campsite I actually had to go eat in the car so they wouldn't swarm me; someone had thrown eggs out before we got to our site so they were attracted to that, but there were also some flies at the beach a few hundred feet away. There was a lot of trash but I suppose there are a lot of people coming in and out of there. Not private campsites but you could always go walk 20 minutes to the waterfall or even a day hike around the whole lake. I would love to explore this place again going all around the area and not spending much time at camp.